I'm happy 3 weeks Out, sore, breathing already better, shape improved

I had a huge nose as a girl, and at 25, i had it...

4 Jun 2014

2 days post

I had a huge nose as a girl, and at 25, i had it done by Dr Ristow in SF, who's supposed to be great...but my nose didn't work out right. He did 2 small revisions, and then i moved away. Meanwhile, my left side breathing became terrible and i was told by an ENT that a severe septal spur on my left septum could be at fault for the breathing and headaches. So, now living in Argentine, I found a very reputable nose specialist and went in 2 days ago.

OUCH. Holy cow, i didn't remember how invasive this surgery is. She did have to break my nose again. And, she did have to use septal grafts. She took 3 1/2 hrs and told my husband it was a very complex job.

I HATE the feeling of not being able to itch my nose, or breath...so i've taken a few friendly tranquilizers and cant' wait to get this stuff off!!!
DAY3 i will get the plugs taken out
DAY 8 I will get the cast off.

Day 4 (or 3?) Packing Removed

5 Jun 2014

3 days post

Today i got the packing taken out of my nose...and saw the doctor. It did hurt while she was doing it, but it was a relief! Immediately afterwords i could BREATH GREAT! I felt giddy and elated. So, no matter what i'm already happy i did this - my breathing is better!! Unless i go and bang my nose or it sets badly. She warned me that it would swelll up over the course of the day and it has.

I read a rhinoplasty's surgeouns journey through his own treatment, and he took Zyertec during the days of recovery to help with congestion. I took 1/2 earlier today and will go for another 1/2 later today. I also took a klonopin(?) to see if i will sleep better. I am now alert and normal enough to feel like a lump. I have 2 little boys who need lots of parenting and feel badly that i'm plopping it all on husband, although he's out of town often. So, well, anyhow - packing still occurs and it felt good coming out.

Before pics

6 Jun 2014

4 days post

My nose pre-20s rhino was pretty big. I dont' have any pics on hand, but it had a big bump. I'm not sure how much larger the tip was.
After primary rhino, i had 2 small revisions with the surgeon (twilight sedation.)
End result: terrible breathing on left side, big nose, although i had become used to it! I found it to look very un natural in 3/4 view. My husband said he loved my nose, so there was never a sense of having to change it. But, a CT scan showing a severe septal spur on the side where it was very deviated, in which i frequently had headaches and terrible congestion, i knew i needed to get it 'fixed', and so i decided that i would fix the outside too! I'm 41 which feels old to change my looks. but we'll see!

Day 2, 3, 4

6 Jun 2014

4 days post

Here are pics of the last couple of days.
WOW did i bruise. I took arnica, bromilian - followed all orders. I guess she really had a lot of work in there!

Day 4(or 5?) feeling better

6 Jun 2014

4 days post

I can't figure out how we're suposed to count the days. I had surgery Monday at 2pm, now it's Friday afternoon. Let's call it day 4. I feel better today minus itching under cast that could make me go nuts. But, my bruising stopped getting worse, and is now turning yellow on the edges :) I can breathe! I have been using every remedy under the sun for helping the black eyes - put potatoes on them, anrica gel, soft oil massage. I'm not the type who can easily sit in bed all day so i'm starting to go stir crazy yet i'm also literally afraid of my 3 and 7 year old accidentally bumping into me - so i'm avoiding them.

I don't understand why my cast seems to be 2x the size of others i see on here. But, anyhow, progress.

When they break your nose

9 Jun 2014

7 days post

i'm sort of curious how much worse the procedure is when they break your nose. My eyes obviously swelled up a lot - and i know she broke my nose again. She wasn't sure she would have to, but apparently when she got in there, she felt she must. She said it was for aesthetic reasons…which sort of upset me because i actually like big bridges and told her and even made a diagram. But, i do trust her aesthetics. I wonder too, if the break was 'extra high' up because the cast goes onto forehead!

Cast came off, tape came on!

10 Jun 2014

8 days post

So, today she took the cast off, hurray! but immediately put some tape on and said to wait one more week with it on…she said i will love it :) BUt, with that said, from what i see i am very happy. I asked her to keep my nose relatively 'big' and strong…i'm 41 and a little too old to get a dainty ski slope :)

Tape on, 9th day

11 Jun 2014

9 days post

So i've got tape as your an see above - and it's not coming off for another week…but, i feel good. I feel a little embarrassed to go out in my life as usual, but i'm doing it. My energy levels are fine, my breathing and overall head feel better than before the surgery! So i'm already a happy camper.

Misc 'tips'

13 Jun 2014

11 days post

I'm not sure if these things help, but here's info i did not find easily, but find helpful:
- you can use Zyrtec to help with congestion after the rhinoplasty, but not Afrin, etc.
- put some couch type pillows between your top mattress and your box-spring to elevate the 'head' area somewhat to make sleeping elevated on 2 pillows easier.
- look up lymphatic massage on youtube, and you'll find some very gentle ways of helping the head move fluids along (start on lower neck, stimulate lymphs gently, move up the face, to around ears, eyes, etc.) This gentle massage seems to help swelling a lot.

hard parts inside nostrils???

14 Jun 2014

12 days post

have any of you noticed hard 'planes' on the insides of your nostrils? i'm getting a little freaked out that one of my nostrils is collapsing in or narrowing in as it heals…oh i hate this recovery stuff!

tape off for a bit

16 Jun 2014

14 days post

today i took my own tape off - tomorrow i will go to my doc for her to officially take it off…but i had to go get my son from school and the tape was coming off anyways ;) Anyhow, i'm happy - it's not too small looking and i'm less worried bout my nostrils narrowing. i see a few stitches, so it is definitely healing...

Tips: why tape...

17 Jun 2014

15 days post

i spend WAY too much time googling stuff, but i thought i'd mention what i found about taping the nose. Apparently, taping the nose for the first 3 weeks after rhinoplasty can help the skin 'stick' to your nose because this is the time that your nose skin is reattaching itself ;) After this, it's about helping you not swell.

Don't rip your tape off on that note. Use a solvent, or any kind of over-the-counter oil like olive oil left on for 10 minutes to make it slide off. Or with gentle soap in the shower.

Here's one doctor's advice:
Taping the bridge of the nose and the supratip area (area above the tip) can significantly reduce postoperative edema (swelling). Gentle pressure from the tape does two things. First, it can help 'press' out some of the swelling that results from trapped fluid in the tissues. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, pressure on the tissues causes the collagen fibers in scar tissue to become more organized, which reduces the volume of the swollen area.The most effective for taping is in the first 3weeks.

Taken from https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=118647538180923&story_fbid=467021013343572

another taping article

17 Jun 2014

15 days post

http://www.drhosnani.com/English/nose-taping.php

2 weeks feeling good

18 Jun 2014

16 days post

i'm feeling pretty good - the breathing is excellent. the nose feels stiff and sore still, but at check up doc said all looks to be healing excellently and will 'shrink' down slowly. ;)

3 weeks, looking good, sore nose

23 Jun 2014

21 days post

I am happy with the look - my dr listened to my request for natural, strong look that wasn't too different, and improved breathing. So far so good. It's very sore though and I feel pinches of pain and tightness. I didn't remember that! Also inside my nostrils I can feel swollen hard grafts.

Pics

23 Jun 2014

21 days post

Profile

12 Jul 2014

1 month post

My profile keeps looking different - i must swell easily. I am also surprised about how sore i still am. I notice little things and get worried, but then take a big step back and look and know it's much better than before, and that the doc listened about not making it too different.

Got a steriod shot to 'subratip' area

15 Aug 2014

2 months post

i need to post pics - but wanted to record something i hadn't read about - which is that at 8 weeks, i had 1 small injection of steriods into my supratip area because doctor said it was very swollen...about 5 days later, my nose really changed shape - the supratip area dropped a lot, which is prettier but i got a little scared that one side is collapsing a little and that the tip is kind of big compared to the now refined supratip area. I told my doctor and she said not to worry. I am doing this in another language, so it's not that easy to chat with her. But, she seemed to think everything was ontrack.